Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Refractory Advanced Solid Tumors or Hematologic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of 1 of the following: * Histologically confirmed advanced primary or malignant solid tumor refractory to standard therapy or for which no curative standard therapy exists * Progressive disease evidenced by 1 of the following: * Non-prostate cancer (including, but not limited to, breast, ovary, head and neck, non-small cell lung, bladder, kidney, colon, stomach, or malignant melanoma) * Development of new lesions or an increase in existing lesions * No increase in a biochemical marker (e.g., carcinoembryonic antigen, CA-15-3, or an increase in symptoms) as sole measure of disease * Prostate cancer (androgen independent) meeting the following criteria: * Progressing metastatic disease on bone scan, CT scan, or MRI * Metastatic disease and rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values meeting 1 of the following criteria: * At least 3 rising PSA values obtained at least 1 week apart = 2 rising values more than 1 month apart with at least 25% increase over the range of values * Serum testosterone less than 30 ng/mL * Castrate status should be maintained by medical therapies if orchiectomy has not been performed * Progressive disease must be evident off antiandrogen therapy if received prior to study entry * Registered to protocol MSKCC-9040 * Cytologically confirmed chronic, accelerated, or blastic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) refractory to standard therapy or for which no curative therapy exists * Progressive disease evidenced by 1 of the following: * Accelerated or blastic phase disease that is not responsive to standard therapy or loss of hematologic response to imatinib mesylate while remaining in chronic phase for CML * Relapsed or refractory after treatment with standard chemotherapy and imatinib mesylate for Ph-positive ALL * No active CNS or epidural tumor * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Sex: * Not specified Menopausal status: * Not specified Performance status: * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: * At least 6 months Hematopoietic: * WBC greater than 3,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3 * No restrictions based on peripheral blood counts for CML and Ph-positive ALL Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST less than 1.5 times ULN * Prothrombin time normal Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR * Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * Ejection fraction greater than 45% by radionuclide cardiac angiography * No ventricular aneurysm or other abnormal wall motion * No reversible defect by thallium stress test if any of the following conditions are present: * Ejection fraction less than 45% on radionuclide angiocardiography * Worrisome but nonexclusive cardiovascular history * Abnormal echocardiogram * Patients with the following history or clinical findings require additional diagnostic testing: * Significant Q waves (greater than 3 mm or greater than one-third of the height of the QRS complex) * ST elevation or depressions of greater than 2 mm that are not attributable to hypertension strain * Absence of regular sinus rhythm * Bundle branch block * Requirement for diuretics for reasons other than hypertension or digoxin for reasons other than atrial fibrillation * Prior mild to moderate congestive heart failure * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * No angina pectoris * No uncontrolled hypertension or intermittent claudication * No severe debilitating valvular disease Pulmonary: * No severe debilitating pulmonary disease Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No active infection requiring IV antibiotics * No symptomatic peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or higher * No other severe medical conditions that would increase risk for toxicity * No allergy to eggs or egg products PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy (including interferon for CML) and recovered Chemotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (3 days for hydroxyurea for CML or ALL) and recovered * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior endocrine therapy and recovered Radiotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * Concurrent radiotherapy to localized disease sites not being used to evaluate antitumor response allowed * No concurrent radiotherapy to only measurable lesion Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * Prior orchiectomy allowed * No concurrent surgery Other: * At least 3 days since prior imatinib mesylate for CML or ALL * At least 4 weeks since prior investigational anticancer drugs and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior palliative treatment for metastatic disease * No concurrent ketoconazole, warfarin, verapamil, miconazole, or erythromycin * No other concurrent investigational drugs